As originally appeared in the Jeffrey Byrne & Associates, Inc. newsletter, News You Can Use
In consumer marketing, the term “brand” permeates every discussion, strategy and writing, as companies attempt to manage consumers’ perceptions of their products and services. For nonprofits, understanding what brand means and how to manage a brand is equally as important, but often overlooked.
Simply put, a brand is determined by how consumers feel about a product, service, organization or individual. Oprah is a brand. The American Red Cross is a brand. Pepsi is a brand. When people are asked to define how they feel about these entities, the concept of brand begins to unfold. And for each of these successful brands, careful management of words and actions helps them position their brand in our minds.
For nonprofits, brand management must have the same focused attention. In order to begin an effective brand management strategy, an organization must first have a benchmark and understanding of their current brand positioning. An organization’s mission is often its brand statement, just in a slightly different format. But does that statement match perception? How does the community feel about the organization? What key words and phrases come to mind when an organization is mentioned to possible donors? Is it a positive or negative perception? Fortunately, a properly conducted campaign feasibility study or Community Readiness Assessment will not only help a nonprofit understand their fundraising potential, it will also help them better understand their brand.
Consumer brands have the advantage of large advertising budgets to influence how customers feel about their products. The nonprofit community doesn’t enjoy such a luxury. However, marketing books are littered with case histories of consumer brands with large budgets that failed in articulating their brand message. The failure is often found within the organization and the lack of a dedicated effort to live the brand. So how does this parallel discussion of consumer brands translate to a nonprofit brand?
In order for a nonprofit to establish and manage brand identity, it must begin at the highest levels of the organization. Brand champions, beginning with the CEO and followed closely by board members and development directors, must clearly articulate the message. As brand champions, it is their responsibility to ensure that the brand/mission statement permeates the organization and can be recited by stakeholders in a few words and phrases.
This brand positioning must be succinct and repeated in every speech, letter and case statement a nonprofit creates. Powerful words can’t be repeated too often. The essence of a living a brand is to preach the brand to everyone who will listen.
In Part One of our brand discussion we discussed how three small words can determine if a brand message is clearly articulated. That brief exercise is your starting point. Those three words, expanded into a clear and compelling brand message, are then ready for an organization to live and breathe.
Repetition is the key to memory, but experience shapes our beliefs. To build a powerful brand, a nonprofit must find the words and tell the story through every medium possible. But a word of caution: Words are not enough. Your brand must be authentic. Your organization must also live the brand through your actions. If your brand is “We help the needy,” you must demonstrate compassion in how you relate to all who come to your door. If an organization states its brand/mission is to help the needy, will the experience ring true if visitors and potential donors see plush offices and a receptionist that can be heard turning away people in need, without helping them find other resources?
As part of your efforts to develop and live your brand, perform an environmental scan of what visitors, callers and others see and hear when they contact your organization. Ask: Are our appeals authentically communicating our sincere desire to live our mission, our brand? Ask: Do my relations with board leaders and other volunteers communicate how we are dedicated to our mission and our brand? Do our volunteers understand this, buy into our brand, and help us live it through their community interactions? How can we help them improve in this area?
Just as development can be everyone’s responsibility in your organization, each and every staff member and volunteer can and should be your brand manager. When you live your brand, you will reap the rewards of vitality and greater donor involvement.
Dont wait. You can start today with three simple words. Then get down to the work of helping everyone in your organization live your brand.